


Exceptions to the rule

by BitchKuroo



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, POV Tsukishima Kei, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24089932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BitchKuroo/pseuds/BitchKuroo
Summary: Tsukishima Kei wasn't an easy person to get along with as a rule, but as with every other rule, there are a few exceptions.orTsukishima grows up, falls in love, suffers from a couple of heartbreaks along the way, all in the pursuit of a happy ending.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Akaashi Keiji/Kuroo Tetsurou, Akaashi Keiji/Tsukishima Kei, Bokuto Koutarou/Kuroo Tetsurou, Bokuto Koutarou/Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio/Kozume Kenma, Kuroo Tetsurou/Tsukishima Kei, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 249





	Exceptions to the rule

**Author's Note:**

> Technically my first work in this fandom, although i have written bits and pieces on Twitter and Instagram. Hopefully, you enjoy this because it been in my drafts for well over three months waiting to be finished.

Tsukishima Kei wasn't an easy person to get along with.

This was just common knowledge. He was rude, snarky and closed off. He pushed people way and he had the attitude of a spoiled brat not getting his way for the first time in his life. Pair those traits with a resting bitch face and a serious lack of effort towards most things, and Kei can understand why people dislike him. In fact, that's the whole point of it. He doesn't want people to like him. Friendships come with expectations and Tsukishima really doesn't feel like living up to any of them any time soon. Being disliked was easier, because it prevented him from eventually letting people down. It protected him from being hurt. Being disliked was Tsukishima's main goal.

So why didn't a certain trio seem to care about that?

* * *

The first time Tsukishima met one of them was odd. He didn't have a face that inspired conversation, yet Kuroo completely ignored his scowl in favour of answering Kei's (rhetorical) question. He then proceeded to tell Tsukishima what to do. Kei as a rule didn't like being told what to do, especially by people he didn't know/care enough about to ask for their opinion. Kuroo had waltzed into this gym, and Kei's life, as if he owned the place, It didn't sit well with Kei.

It didn't sit well with Kei at all. Especially when he caught himself staring at Kuroo longer than what was acceptable, or when he found himself wondering what kissing a guy would be like. What kissing Kuroo would be like.

Tsukishima refused to have his gay awakening in the middle of a gym filled with his nosy, obnoxious teammates. If this was happening, he at least wanted a shred of dignity to remain intact. He didn't want Hinata very loudly asking him why he was staring at Nekoma's captain with a dazed look on his face.

Kuroo's knowing smirk in reply did very little to protect his dignity.

* * *

Tsukishima had a weakness.

Kei was weak for tall boys from Tokyo with messy black hair, ugly laughs and obnoxious friends.

It was just a coincidence that all of these traits fit Kuroo.

It wasn't like Tsukishima had a specific taste. And it wasn't as if that specific taste was the third year captain of a rival volleyball team.

Kei found it quite easy to ignore this weakness on a regular day, as no one is his school matched the description. However, the weakness became a lot harder to ignore when the person was directly in front of him, trying to convince Tsukishima that extra training, something that Tsukishima put a lot of effort into avoiding, would be a good idea.

Tsukishima said yes, of course, because Kuroo wasn't a weakness for no reason. Kei just had to find a way to survive the extra practice session and all of the knowing glances Akaashi kept sending his way when he got too caught up in the lines of Kuroo's shoulders or the warmth of his side pressed against him when they jumped a block. It wasn't his fault that Kuroo was alluring in a way no other person had ever been for Kei before. He was a teenage boy with hormones. It wasn't a crime to have a small crush on his upperclassmen. Kei had no problem admitting that it was normal and that he'd grow out of it as his hormones settled down.

He just wished Akaashi would stop looking so god-damned smug every time Tsukishima's gaze lingered a few seconds longer than it was supposed to.

* * *

Tsukishima wasn't expecting an apology, and he certainly wasn't expecting it to happen through Daichi of all people. Kuroo obviously knew Kei would be avoiding him like the plague, so he went to someone Kei trusted who wouldn't be overly concerned with Tsukishima's relationship with him.

Honestly, Kei was completely ready to accept the fact that he'd probably just managed to push another person away. He wasn't used to people sticking around too long after witnessing his horrid personality and messy emotions. He certainly wasn't used to people apologising for treading on one of his landmines. His head was a bomb site of repressed emotions and unresolved childhood inadequacy. People were bound to tread on something uncomfortable eventually. It happened far too often for Kei's liking, actually.

Except, this time, he wasn't seen as wrong for his feelings. Kuroo apologised because he thought he was in the wrong, because he cared about Kei enough that thought of upsetting him hurt, even just the tiniest bit.

Kei wasn't used to people caring about him like that.

But the idea of Kuroo caring about him wasn't as unpleasant as he first thought it would be. It filled his chest with a warm feeling and Tsukishima was just able to stop a smile worming its way onto his face in front of his entire team.

Kei liked Kuroo, he really liked him, and this showed that Kuroo liked him too, even if it was most likely in a different way.

Kei just hoped that he wouldn't regret giving his heart away so freely for the first time.

Kei just hoped he wouldn't end up getting hurt.

* * *

Kei really wishes they'd stop staring at him.

“They” being his teammates, Apparently, it was so odd to see Tsukishima conversing civilly with people other than Yamaguchi that when it did happen, they needed to turn it into a spectator sport.

Also, “conversing” was a stretch, considering Kuroo was just hounding him for his number while Bokuto and Akaashi tried not to laugh at the pure confusion on the faces of the other Karasuno players from the bus. Kei was just stood there, trying to resist the urge to storm onto the bus and rip Nishinoya away from the window. His breath was even fogging up the glass, for Christ's sake!

In the end, Tsukishima caved. Not because Kuroo's pleads were endearing! It was because Daichi had to gently remind Tsukishima that he was holding the entire team up with this extended goodbye. Even Hinata was now on the bus. It must've been a miracle to get him away from Kenma, but there he was, two rows down from Nishinoya, face pressed to the glass, staring at Kei.

Kei really needed better teammates. It was bad enough spending the last few days of the camp dodging Suga's interrogations about where he had been each night when Tsukishima had turned down practising with the team.

With an exasperated, yet slightly fond sigh, Kei grabbed Kuroo's phone and put in his number. He tried not to blush when he put it under “Kei” instead of his last name. He refused to look at Kuroo when he handed it back, instead choosing to turn around and get on the bus. He could hear Kuroo's pleased sputters as he noticed what his contact name was.

Kei couldn't help the twitch of his lips when his phone vibrated, signalling a new message.

**Unknown [Received 17:26]**

_Is the your way of telling me to call you Kei?_

**Me [Sent 17:26]**

_What gave you that idea?_

**Unknown [Received 17:27]**

_I'll call you Kei on one condition,,,_

_You have to call me Tetsuro >:-)_

**Me [Sent 17:28]**

_Deal._

…

_Tetsuro._

**Tetsuro [Received 17:29]**

_This is by far the best idea I've ever had._

Kei closed the app and turned his phone off, glad he was towards the back so no one caught his smile as his stared out the window.

That boy is going to be the death of him.

* * *

Kei really wished Tadashi would stop staring at him knowingly every time his phone buzzed.

It had been almost half a year since nationals. Tetsuro had now settled into his new Tokyo apartment with Bokuto. They were both still playing volleyball but Tetsuro had mentioned that he didn't think he would be for much longer. He was studying biochemical engineering for his degree and it was apparently a lot more difficult than he had expected. He didn't regret taking the course, he was loving every moment of it. He just didn't know how he was going to tell Bokuto that he was quitting volleyball.

Kei was currently brainstorming with Tetsuro how best to break the news to Bokuto. Or at least that's what they had been talking about when practice started. He'd let Tetsuro know that he had to go and figured that would be the end of it.

Of course, after 6 months worth of late night conversations and video calls, Kei should know better. He's honestly scared to turn on his phone. Tetsuro could be saying anything. And if Kei had thought Suga was nosy, the new first years were a whole new can of worms. It was almost like they were silent. One minute they'd be frantically cleaning the gym and the next, Kei would look up and they would be stood behind the bench, reading his text messages with Tetsuro. One time, they'd caught it at really bad moment. Tetsuro had obviously gotten bored and had started sending increasingly lewd pick-up lines to try and garner a response as if Kei had been purposefully ignoring him and not just unable to reply.

Kei feels sort of bad for the mental scarring those messages had probably caused, but they shouldn't have been reading over his shoulder. It had lead to a very awkward discussion about what half of the things meant, and it took nearly ten minutes for them to believe him when he told them that he wasn't dating the guy who sent the messages, he's just like that sometimes.

Now, every time his phone buzzed, Tadashi smirked at him as if he knew exactly who was messaging him. which he probably did because Kei was actually terrible at hiding anything from Tadashi and he was especially bad at hiding anything to do with Kuroo.

When they were walking back, Tadashi didn't even bat an eyelid at Kei when he passed up meat buns with the rest of the team, stating that he had something he needed to work on, which is code for “Tetsuro has an early finishing afternoon class today so we're video calling before it gets too late”.

Kei hated that Tadashi knew him so well, hated that he was so transparent in his fondness for Tetsuro.

Because if other people could pick up on it, Tetsuro most definitely knew. There was a reason he hadn't brought it up though, and Kei was completely willing to wait until he did.

Kei found that he didn't mind the thought of being hurt, as long as it was Kuroo hurting him.

In fact, Kei thinks it would be a pleasure to have his heart broken by Tetsuro.

* * *

Kei hated playing babysitter, which is precisely what he was doing right now.

Kei was making his way to Tokyo with Hinata in tow because Kenma had decided to move in with Tetsuro and Hinata wanted to see him. Kenma wouldn't be staying long, he'd already decided that he hated university and was going to be dropping out at the end of the year to pursue something he found more fun, which meant he no longer had to live in the city centre. That was part of the reason he was travelling up today. Tetsuro wanted Kei to move into Kenma's old room when he came to university next semester. Kei loved the idea, although he had made a point to act indifferent each time Tetsuro brought it up.

This week was supposed to be a trial run for when Kei moved in, to see whether he'd be able to survive living with three other people. At least, that's how Tetsuro put it. Kei knew that translated as “see if you can survive the week without killing Bokuto” because Akaashi was a delight and Tetsuro already knew that Kei liked him a lot more than he let on. Kei liked to put up a front around others but he found that he didn't always mind Bokuto's company. It was mainly a joke, because Tetsuro knew him better than he liked, and that included his almost fondness for Bokuto.

They'd been in this weird not-dating-but-dating phase since the start of Kei's third year. Tetsuro had insisted they celebrate Kei being made captain. Tetsuro had brought some nice bottles of sake and they'd sat on Kei's bed and drank, talking about everything and nothing. At one point. Tetsuro had reached over and brushed an eyelash of Kei's cheek and Kei, head fuzzy and warm from the alcohol, had been unable to stop himself from leaning up and kissing him. Tetsuro had kissed back and it was heaven. Until he pushed Kei away and said that he was too drunk for this to go any further and that if Kei had been sober it wouldn't have happened in the first place.

It turns out, Kei was an emotional drunk. He'd managed to get out of the room before he broke down but that didn't make it any better. Kei didn't know how long he'd spent in the bathroom but when he came back Tetsuro had packed his overnight bag and was sitting awkwardly on his bed. He saw the flash of pain on Tetsuro's face when he took in Kei's red and puffy eyes.

Tetsuro had left that night, taking the last train back to Tokyo. Kei had sent him a message in the morning apologising for making him uncomfortable and offering to let him forget it ever happened as long as they can stay friends. Tetsuro had agreed and the entire thing was forgotten. At least, they claimed they'd forgotten it. Kei sometimes caught Tetsuro staring at his lips before he'd realise and look away. Kei could only recognise this because it's something he's been doing since his first year.

That's why this week was so important to him. Kei had decided that he couldn't put up with any of this any more. Kei was going to tell Tetsuro everything. He figured it would be better to get it out before they moved in together, because if Tetsuro rejects him, Kei has a bit of time to move on. Or find a different apartment to live in when he got to Tokyo. If Tetsuro doesn't reject him, then Kei had found someone to give his second button to before he graduated.

Hinata seemed to realise the Kei had a lot on his mind and, thankfully, stayed reasonably quiet for the journey. Kei thinks his silence also has something to do with the fact this is probably going to be the last time Hinata will see Kenma before he goes to Brazil. When Hinata had told Kageyama that he'd be leaving, he'd exploded. Kei hopes Kenma will react better, so Hinata won't have to go to Brazil with both of his boyfriends hating him. Kei still has no idea how that relationship happened, but he's not in a place to judge. After all, Hinata managed to confess twice and it worked out well for him. Kei couldn't even confess once and he already felt like his world was collapsing.

Kei wants to take back what he said earlier.

If Tetsuro breaks his heart, Kei doesn't think he'll be able to put it back together again.

Kei doesn't think he'd find pleasure in being alone again.

* * *

Kei hadn't counted on Tetsuro dating someone else.

When he'd arrived at the station, everything was normal. Akaashi and Bokuto were waiting for them to arrive as they said they would be because Kuroo had a some lab work to do before he could join them. Bokuto immediately took Hinata off his hands and they bounded off together towards the exit, leaving Kei and Akaashi to catch up.

The pair decided that they'd take their time and catch up. They'd been making shallow small talk when Akaashi remembered something. He had interrupted whatever Kei had been saying to let Kei know that Kuroo had started seeing someone. Kei didn't say anything, he just adjusted his glasses and continued their previous conversation. He pretended he couldn't see Akaashi's pitying looks as they finally arrived at the car where the other two were waiting. One look at his face seemed to alert Bokuto of the situation and the atmosphere around them grew sombre. Kei hated pity, but the look on Bokuto's face was different, it was as if he was genuinely sad on Kei's behalf. Even Hinata could tell something was wrong, and he had the emotional intelligence of a literal carrot. Kei ignored everyone the entire ride back and was quiet at dinner when Tetsuro got home.

Tetsuro seemed to think that Kei was just tired from his journey and offered his bed as a resting place while they got the futons set up. Kei turned it down, choosing to sit next to Akaashi on the sofa instead. Akaashi turned on a documentary he'd been meaning to watch and Kei let himself zone out. He felt the sofa shift as someone sat next to him and he immediately moved closer to Akaashi. Tetsuro didn't seem to notice and Bokuto smiled at their closeness, knowing that Kei was definitely not trying to steal his boyfriend.

Tetsuro had noticed though. He noticed something was wrong as soon as he opened the door to Hinata and Bokuto screaming. There hadn't been any cutting remarks following their exclamations and Kei seemed withdrawn from his place at the kitchen counter where he was typing away on his phone to someone. He noticed when Kei turned down the offer of his bed, something he never does. Kei used to make any excuse he could to sleep in Tetsuro's bed, which often lead to them sharing it when it was time to sleep and Tetsuro didn't have the heart to exile Kei to the floor. He noticed when he sat down next to Kei and in response, Kei burrowed further into Akaashi's side.

Kei could smell whoever Tetsuro was seeing on him when he sat next to him on the sofa. After sharing bed so frequently, Kei had become reasonably well acquainted with Tetsuro's scent, and it didn't smell like that.

Kei was dreading this entire week now. He'd texted Tadashi earlier about the situation and Tadashi said that he was still welcome to room with Yachi and Kageyama next semester instead. Kei had actually been Yachi's first choice at room-mate when she found out they were both going to Tokyo for university. Kei had said no at the time because he'd already made his plans with Tetsuro at that point, so Yachi asked Kageyama instead, who had been scouted for a Tokyo team. They'd found an apartment with three rooms for relatively cheap so they'd have a guest room just in case, but Yachi had made sure Kei knew he was welcome to the room if he wanted it. Kageyama had even said that he wouldn't mind if Kei moved in with them because it's one more person to help with rent and at least he knew Kei and trusted him, to a degree.

Kei asked Tadashi to ask how much rent he would have to pay with Kageyama and Yachi and found it was very similar to what he would be paying if he stayed with Kuroo. If he stayed with them, he might finally be able to move past Tetsuro. He didn't want his feelings getting in the way of their friendship and he definitely didn't want to jeopardise Tetsuro's happiness.

With that in mind, Kei text Yachi and said he was taking her up on her offer.

Kei had to grow up at some point and to do that, he needed to move past his childish crush on Tetsuro.

Kei had to learn that life wasn't some romcom and that not everyone got a happy ending.

Kei wasn't even sure he deserved one.

* * *

To say Kuroo was upset was an understatement.

He didn't understand why Kei had randomly decided to move into an apartment with Yachi and Kageyama instead of his apartment, especially when that had been the plan for most of the last year.

According to Akaashi, Kuroo had been more irritable than usual, tensions in the apartment were high because Bokuto and irritable Kuroo weren't a good mix. He had been snapping at the pair of them and had taken to locking himself in his room whenever the two were being remotely romantic. Because of this, Bokuto had cut down on their physical affection levels, which caused a fight between Akaashi and Kuroo because “how dare Kuroo make them feel uncomfortable in their only safe space”.

In short, it was a bit of a mess. And it was Kei's fault,

Kei felt awful when Akaashi told him what was happening when they met up for coffee. Kei was being selfish. He was prioritising his feelings over Kuroo's and it was hurting people he cared about (as much as Kei liked to pretend that he was indifferent towards them). He told Akaashi this, and immediately found himself on the receiving end of a lecture. Akaashi told him that he wasn't wrong for getting out of a situation that would've caused him pain and that he no control over how people reacted to his decisions.

It was moments like this where Kei realised how much he appreciated Akaashi. He'd always found himself leaning toward Akaashi naturally when the four of them hung out because he was the quietest and he got Tsukishima in a way that no one else seemed to. He seemed to know when Tsukishima needed to slow down and he never held it against him when he needed a change in pace.

That didn't mean that Bokuto and Kuroo didn't care about him. He knew they did. He knew when he saw Bokuto's expression at the train station. He knew when Kuroo would spend hours talking to him on the phone because he'd mentioned in passing that he was having a bad day. It just meant that Akaashi had a way of understanding him and saying exactly what Kei needed to hear in that moment.

He cared about all three of them in different ways, but that didn't make it less equal.

Only, this meant Kei was facing a bigger problem than before.

Kei never wanted to fall for one person, let alone three.

There probably wasn't a worse time to realise something like this than in a coffee shop, facing one of the people who started his panic. Luckily, a text from Yachi containing a shopping list saved him and he quickly apologised to Akaashi and went on his way, hoping his blush wasn't too noticeable when Akaashi kissed his cheek before he left.

Kei wasn't ready for this.

Kei couldn't risk letting his feelings develop the way he did with Kuroo.

At least Kuroo had been single when his feelings developed. Akaashi and Bokuto have been dating for as long as Kei has known them.

In short, Kei was completely fucked.

* * *

When Kei got the call, he wasn't sure how to react.

Considering how much he'd complained about volleyball in high school, it was a surprise Kei had continued playing when he got to college. Tetsuro and Bokuto had been delighted when he let them know that he was on his university team. The two of them were largely responsible for his love of the sport and they were glad he wasn't letting his potential go to waste.

That didn't mean that the phone call wouldn't change everything.

After Kei's conversation with Akaashi in the coffee shop, Kei had realised that he needed the three of them more than he noticed previously. He still lived with Yachi and Kageyama, finding them to actually be good room-mates (when Kageyama wasn't moping about Hinata), but more often than not, Kei would find himself curled up on Tetsuro, Bokuto and Akaashi's sofa, reading as Bokuto tried not to set fire to the kitchen and Tetsuro paced around the room reciting chemical formula's he needed to know, Akaashi sitting on the other end of the sofa, sketching ideas for his classes quietly. By now, Kei was almost always with the four of them. It was nice, and the sweet domesticity allowed some deep part of Kei to pretend that there was something more than friendship there.

But now, Kei was going to undo all of the work he'd done when he mended the bridges he'd burnt when he moved in with Yachi and Kageyama. Except, this time it was different, because there's an actual relationship on the line, and he's a hell of a lot more emotionally invested than he was a year ago. Tetsuro's relationship hadn't lasted long, all things considered, and Kei finally worked up the courage to confess. They'd been going strong for quite a few months at this point, the end of his first year rapidly approaching. Tetsuro was going to be graduating soon. Everything seemed to be going well.

And then Kei got the call.

It had been from an unknown number, and Kei was weary at first, letting it ring until it went to voicemail. However, the voicemail had cleared a lot up and Kei found himself calling back almost immediately. It was a pro volleyball team called the Sendai Frogs. Their scout had been at his most recent game and they wanted to sign him. They understood that he was still in university and was currently studying in Tokyo. It wasn't a problem, according to them. They'd apparently already spoken to his university and Sendai's university and Tokyo had agreed to transfer his courses over to the other school if he chose to take the offer. Kei was shocked, to put it mildly. He hadn't considered going pro, but now it was a completely viable option. He'd asked for a few days to decide but he already knew his answer by the time they'd signed off.

He wanted to take it. Kageyama was also being scouted by a Sendai team, which meant he wouldn't be alone in a big city. Yamaguchi was still studying abroad currently, but he'd be returning to Sendai soon enough. Yachi had been wanting to move in with her girlfriend for a while but stayed because they needed her part of the rent to be able to keep the apartment. So many things pointed him towards accepting. There was only one reason telling him not take it.

Well. Three reasons, but he could only admit to one.

Tetsuro had only just forgiven him for ditching on their move in plans. He'd never forgive him for up and moving to another city. It'd be like Hinata, Kageyama and Brazil all over again, except Kei would wait until he was in private to cry, which Hinata didn't. Kageyama hadn't cared that Brazil would further Hinata's career. He couldn't see that far ahead. All he could see was that Hinata was abandoning him. Kei had a feeling Tetsuro would react similarly. Bokuto and Akaashi would react more like Kenma. They'd be upset to see him go, but they'd understand that he needed to do this. They'd be proud of him for coming so far since high school.

Once again, Kei had no idea how Hinata managed to do something like this twice.

Kei had a brief moment where he asked himself if he was being selfish. He shouldn't be putting his happiness over Tetsuro's again. He did that once before and it nearly ruined their entire relationship. They were basically strangers for his first two months of University. He couldn't go back to that. At least he had Akaashi and Bokuto then. If it happens again, Kei would be alone. Kei didn't want to go back to being alone. He'd had enough of that throughout middle school. Kei had friends now, a boyfriend even. He couldn't throw that away for something that might not work out.

But, he also couldn't turn down an offer like this on the grounds of making other people happy.

Kei accepted the offer.

Kageyama feigned disinterest but Kei could tell he was glad he wasn't moving alone. Yachi was ecstatic for him, though Kei thinks some of that happiness comes from the fact that she can move in with her girlfriend now. Akaashi and Bokuto reacted exactly like he thought they would. They took him out for celebratory drinks despite Kei being too young to drink. They said they'd miss him more than he knew, and Bokuto started crying over the fact that Kei would no longer be regular in their household. Tetsuro had only smiled sadly and congratulated him. Kei wasn't quite sure how to deal with this reaction but he also didn't want to push Tetsuro if the other was trying to comes to terms with it.

It wasn't until a week before his departure that Kei realised why Tetsuro had been so quiet.

He'd been trying to find a way to break up with Kei that wouldn't hurt.

Tetsuro was an idiot because if he thought that telling Kei that he couldn't handle a long distance relationship and that Kei deserved the chance to grow and explore life as a 20 year old without being tied to someone in a different prefecture wouldn't hurt Kei, he was completely wrong. Akaashi had been furious on Kei's behalf when Kei had called him, sobbing, and asked him for a lift back to his apartment because it was raining and Kei was cold, wet and heartbroken. When he'd arrived, Bokuto was also in the back of the car. When Kei opened the door, Bokuto silently held his arms out and let Kei collapse into them. Bokuto was quiet the entire way back, focussing on holding Kei as tightly as possible while he sobbed on his shoulder. When they stopped at a traffic light, Akaashi reached behind him and ran his hands through Kei's hair.

Akaashi made him promise that this wouldn't affect Kei's love of volleyball, and that it especially wouldn't make him change his mind about Sendai.

Bokuto and Akaashi stayed with him that night, cuddled up together because they knew what Kei needed right now was affection and people to tell him that he had made the right choice.

They fell asleep like that, and when Kei woke up the next morning, something about their relationship had noticeably shifted. They were more affectionate with him as they each danced around each other while making breakfast. Akaashi and Bokuto both kissed him on the cheek when he handed them their tea and coffee, and smiled at each other when his face blushed bright red.

It hit Kei how much he was going to miss this in Sendai. This easy affection.

Kei wanted to stay in this moment forever, but he knew he couldn't. He still had to pack for Sendai.

Kei was about start a new chapter in his life, and while he only had two out the three people he loved by his side at this moment, he couldn't find it in himself to regret taking this chance.

Tetsuro would come around. He always did.

Kei was completely fine only being friends with Bokuto and Akaashi because they were perfect for one another and Kei didn't want to intrude on that.

Kei knew that this was all true. He was truly fine with knowing he'd never have a chance with Akaashi and Bokuto. He truly believed that he and Tetsuro would fix their friendship eventually.

Believing all this didn't make Kei any less lonely when he moved into a single room apartment in the centre of Sendai.

* * *

Kei wasn't expecting to see Tetsuro so soon.

He's been in Sendai now for about 6 months and he's finally starting to feel at home here. His parents are closer, same with his brother. Tadashi has just gotten back from America with a tan and an entirely new identity. On top of all of this, Kei had somehow fallen into a relationship with Keiji and Koutarou not long after he'd arrived. Both Kei, Keiji and Koutarou all had experience with long distance relationships, so they knew how to make it work.

Kei hadn't heard anything from Tetsuro since their conversation, so you can imagine his surprise when he heard a knock on his apartment door, which revealed Tetsuro standing awkwardly in his corridor. Kei stepped aside to allow him in before his neighbours caught wind of new gossip. Kei noticed Tetsuro was eyeing the t-shirt he was wearing, and self consciously pulled his cardigan further around his body. The t-shirt was one of Koutarou's, which he'd left behind after one of his visits. Tetsuro obviously recognised the shirt.

Tetsuro looked around his apartment, subtly trying to see if he recognised any photos. He wouldn't, any photos of Tetsuro were relegated to the bedroom where they wouldn't draw suspicion from people who only knew Kei's partners as Keiji and Koutarou. Tetsuro seemed upset that there wasn't a trace of their relationship in the apartment. Kei wanted to scream, he wanted to shake Tetsuro and yell at him for abandoning him. He wanted to take Tetsuro into his room and show him the photos, shove them in his face and shout at him about how he still loved him and he still meant everything to him.

But he couldn't. Because he had Keiji and Koutarou now, and he loved them so much. There wasn't room for Tetsuro in his heart. He had to let him go and try to be happy with what he had, which was two amazing boyfriends. Except, Kei also loved Tetsuro. Hell, he'd loved Tetsuro the longest. Kei couldn't remember what it felt like before he loved Tetsuro. Kei was lost, he didn't know how he was supposed to react in a situation like this. What was expected of him?

Keiji and Koutarou both knew he was still in love with Tetsuro. They didn't expect him to suddenly lose all of his feelings for him now he was in a new relationship. Kei knew they were hoping he would eventually move past his feelings, he could see it in the way the looked at him when he'd been staring at a photo of the two of them for too long. He could sense it in the way they pressed kisses to the places that used to be constantly covered in his marks. He felt it in the way they hesitated before mentioning him, as if afraid of seeing how he reacted to whatever news they were about to share.

It was easy to ignore that part of himself while he was alone in Sendai. He could pour his entire heart into making sure Keiji and Koutarou knew he loved them in his own little way, and when he couldn't do that, couldn't pretend he wasn't missing something, no one was around to see the mask slip. That part wasn't as easy to ignore when the something that was missing was standing in his living room, eyes darting around the room, taking in the décor. There was something wrong about seeing him here. He wasn't a part of his life in Sendai, a life he'd built after his one in Tokyo came crashing down around him, Tetsuro was like a ghost of a time that Kei didn't want to remember, but Kei couldn't find the strength within himself to ask him to leave.

So he didn't.

Tetsuro had come to apologise, regret seeping into every word when he speaks about how he was scared Kei would outgrow him, and how guilty he felt when he got the text from Akaashi demanding to know why Kei was sobbing in the back of his and Bo's car. He'd originally came to try and win Kei back, but he could tell that would be unwanted. Part of Kei was screaming at him, begging him to move forward and kiss him, reassure Tetsuro that he was wanted and loved and every other thing he wasn't sure about any more. But he couldn't. Kei couldn't be the one to reassure Tetsuro, because he was the one who had made him question it all in the first place. He couldn't because he had two boyfriends waiting for him in Tokyo, while Tetsuro had none.

This was why Kei didn't get attached.

He hated the fact that no matter what decision he made, someone ended up hurt because of him.

Everyone who got close to him ended up being hurt, or leaving. Maybe this time Kei should be the one to leave, before he hurt anybody else. He didn't deserve Keiji and Koutarou, and Tetsuro deserved something better than he could offer.

This mess was Kei's fault, for believing that he could love and be loved in return.

* * *

Kei was now completely alone.

After the event with Tetsuro, Kei had called off his thing with Keiji and Koutarou. It didn't feel fair that he was leading them on when he knew wouldn't get over Tetsuro. He had originally argued with himself about the decision, because it wasn't as if he didn't love them as well. He did. He loved them so much, which is why he had to end it. He didn't want them to get sick of waiting for something that wouldn't happen. He didn't want them to resent him for still loving someone else. He didn't want them to hurt him.

Kei had always been a loner, so he was used to he eerie silence and the lack of notifications lighting up his phone. That didn't make his complete isolation any easier. Before, he'd had Yamaguchi, but he'd come back from college in America a completely different person. Kei didn't know this version of his friend and he could feel the distance growing between them everyday. The only people Kei regularly spoke to now was his teammates and his brother. His brother hadn't known about his relationship, so he definitely didn't need to know about it ending. The team knew he was friendly with a Wing Spiker from the Black Jackals, and were upset when Kei said he wouldn't be coming to practices again any time soon, but that was the end of it as far as that was concerned. Nobody noticed Kei pulling away and retreating into himself because he hadn't made an effort to reach out in the first place. Kei quickly found himself reverting back to his high school self. He didn't go out of his way to talk to people, and he always had a sarcastic remark lined up for whatever someone said. He stopped caring about whether or not his insults crossed the line and he stopped trying to meet people's expectations again. He tried not to let it hurt when Yachi noticed his behaviour over face-time before his best friend, who lived in the same city and saw Kei regularly, did.

It was better this way. Kei was used to this. His neutral mask was a comfort after a long time of exposure.

It was better this way. Kei knew it was. That's why he made the decisions he did.

It was better this way.

So why didn't he believe himself any more?

* * *

Kei was falling apart.

He'd been distracted at practice and had managed to injure himself by landing funny on his knee when jumping a block. He'd dislocated it, placing himself in an uncomfortable brace that covered the entirety of his leg and getting himself benched from his first game as a starter.

Now, Kei was stuck at home alone, staring blankly at the walls in front of him as the TV droned on in the background. He wished he had someone, anyone, next to him. To hold him and play with his hair. To comfort him. To let him know that he's still worth something even with a possibly career ending injury.

Also, it hurts to stand too long and he nearly brained himself trying to take a shower earlier, so he'd really appreciate someone standing guard while he was showering.

A thought crossed Kei's mind that no one would know if he did injure himself again. He wasn't allowed at practice and his part time job at the museum had given him a week off to get used to moving about on crutches. He made a point to speak to Yachi every Friday, which gave him three days of lying helplessly on his floor before someone would notice his absence, and Yachi would most likely think he was busy with schoolwork and couldn't talk. The thought highlighted how alone Kei actually was, and he quickly switched his brain on to something less depressing.

Kei's late night thoughts prevented him from trying to shower again for two days after them. He made a pact with himself that he would shower before Yachi called so he wouldn't be on the floor for as long if he did fall.

Which he did.

No matter how he got out of the shower, there was always going to be a time when his bad leg had to support all of his weight. He could chose to leave it on the wet enamel in his bath or, he could step out on to the slippery, polished tiled floor of his bathroom. Kei chose the second option, deeming the lesser of two evils.

Apparently, there wasn't too much of a difference.

Kei does not recommend smacking your head against any surface, but especially not a bath.

Kei also does not recommend calling one of your ex boyfriends with your last bit of coherent thought before promptly collapsing.

* * *

Kei wakes up to a white ceiling that is definitely not his bathroom's, because it lacks the very familiar mould patterns that cover it. The second thing Kei notices after determining that he is not in his bathroom, which is where he was last time he checked, is the overpowering smell of disinfectant in the air. This leads Kei to believe he is in the hospital, although how exactly he ended up there is still a mystery.

The only thing that doesn't fit in the picture is the hand gripping his and the quiet mumbling happening around him. The mumbling stops when he groans, needing to vocalise his pain in the hope that it will make his headache magically disappear.

It doesn't.

All vocalising his pain does is draw the attention of the people in the room, which means socialising, which Kei really doesn't have the energy for. He can't even get a break when he's in hospital. Typical.

He closes his eyes for two reasons. One, is to help ease the aforementioned headache, and two, is a vain hope that if he closes his eye, people will leave him alone. Neither wishes were granted.

“Kei? Do you remember anything?

What the fuck was Keiji doing here?

Was this some form of punishment?

Was it not enough that he'd injured himself in a way that was more fitting of an old age pensioner than an athlete in his prime, injured knee or not?

“We know you're awake, Kei. We literally just heard you speak.” Great. Tetsuro was here too.

Kei gave another groan, mainly because he could, and because if those two were here, Koutarou would be here as well and Kei could kiss goodbye to his hope of sinking back into a blissful sleep.

He could feel their eyes on him, and not in the way he enjoyed, so he gave in and opened his eyes again, pushing himself into a seated position. A bolt of pain shot up his leg and Kei didn't even need to look to know hid knee was in worse shape than before.

“Not to sound rude, but why are you here?”

“Kei, you called Tetsuro and didn't say anything, so he texted Yamaguchi and asked him to check on you. Turns out you were unconscious on your bathroom floor with a head wound.”

Keiji seemed upset, and worried, except he couldn't be worried because Kei didn't deserve that. He was the one who cut them off for no reason. They shouldn't still have to worry about him.

“Sorry, I thought I'd called Yamaguchi in the first place. As you can see I'm fine, I'm sorry for making you take time out of your lives to check on me. I'm not your problem any more.”

His statement caused a silence to wash over the room, all three other occupants fighting to find something to say to let Kei know just how wrong he is.

Koutarou breaks the silence first, unsurprisingly.

“Why didn't you tell us you were injured?” It's quiet and sad, and Kei feels all of his self loathing crash back onto him because how dare he make Koutarou sad.

“It's not important.”

“Kei, the doctor said you'd dislocated your knee again. It's definitely important.”

Kei cringed at the information about his knee. Guess he really was kissing volleyball goodbye. He'd have to go back to Tokyo. He'd have to find a new apartment.

“Well, I guess that's the end of my volleyball career.”

“Why are you treating this like a joke?” Tetsuro was furious, and it was glorious. Kei knew he shouldn't be provoking him at a time like this but he was falling apart because of his own stupid choices and he wanted someone to finally hold him accountable, even if that person was one of the people he'd been in love with since he was fifteen.

“Tetsuro, that's enough. He's obviously in a bad place right now. Give him some space.”

Why was Keiji always such a good voice of reason?

Kei wanted to scream at him, make him get angry too. But he couldn't, so he just sat there.

Tetsuro stepped away from the bed, body tight with anger, and Kei could do nothing but watch him leave the room with a mumble of needing fresh air. Keiji seemed to be waiting for him to say something, so he hung his head and tried to piece together what he wanted to say.

“I'm sorry about cutting you off with no reasoning. I felt guilty because Tetsuro came to apologise and all of my feelings for him came rushing back. I didn't love you two any less, I just loved Tetsuro equally as much, and I knew it wasn't fair for you for me to be in love with someone else. I know you were giving me time to get over him but I couldn't handle how disappointed you'd be when you worked out that wasn't happening.”

Kei refused to look up, eyes fixing firmly on a crease in the linens on his bed as he felt Keiji and Koutarou's eyes burning into the side of his face.

“Kei.”

Keiji only ever used that voice when he was serious about something, so Kei took a breath and raised his head, turning to face whatever lecture Keiji had planned. However, Kei was pleasantly surprised to find himself on the receiving end of one of Keiji's legendary kisses. The ones that were slow enough to leave you aching for more. They left you breathless and desperate, unable to work out whether it was from the heat of the kiss or the amount of love that was poured into everything, from the firm press of his lips to the tenderness of how he cradled your face as if you were something precious.

They separated, leaving Kei flushed. Keiji knew exactly what he was doing with that kiss, it was just a shame that he always seemed to be at least one step ahead of Kei, so Kei was a bit lost on what exactly Keiji was trying to achieve.

Or maybe his brain hasn't quite switched back on after the kiss. Either one was plausible.

Keiji was still cradling his face and the look of pure adoration was too much to handle right now.

“Kei, you don't have to choose. You can have all of us. You aren't greedy or selfish for loving all three of us. We talked about it while we were waiting for you to wake up. Koutarou's been in love with Tetsuro since they met, but he didn't say anything because he met me. If you still want us, you can have us. Don't feel like you have to say no because you're scared of being seen as greedy.”

Kei was dumbstruck. He didn't know how to process everything Keiji had said. He'd spent so long convincing himself he was only allowed Tetsuro or Keiji and Koutarou, the idea of being loved and loving all three of them was completely foreign to him.

“It's true, Kei. If you want us, you can have us, as a whole, not as separate parts.” Kei's head snapped to where Tetsuro was now standing in the doorway again. Koutarou was nodding frantically and Keiji was back to staring at him.

Kei wasn't entirely sure he wasn't still on his bathroom floor, experiencing some form of concussion induced hallucinations.

Nevertheless, Kei nodded, and allowed himself to be swept up in the embrace of the three people he loved with all his heart.

It hadn't been easy getting to this point, but they'd made it.

After all, Tsukishima Kei wasn't an easy person to get along with.

Unless you were a certain trio of city boys who changed his life.

**Author's Note:**

> I might write an epilogue to this one day but for now it's a complete, stand-alone work.


End file.
